Chelsea striker Torres ready to accept bench role

Fernando Torres has stated that he can have no complaints about being dropped by Jose Mourinho since he feels that he has not scored the required number of goals to keep his place in the team.

Fernando Torres[2] has stated that he can have no complaints about being dropped by Jose Mourinho[3] since he feels that he has not scored the required number of goals to keep his place in the team. Torres made the £50 million move from Liverpool in 2011, but he has been a shadow of the player he was at Atletico Madrid[4] and Liverpool. The Spaniard has averaged just one goal per three matches, which has made many question his position in the team.

Torres has started most of the matches for Chelsea[5] this campaign, but the threat from Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba looms large. Romelu Lukaku has also been scoring lots of goals at Everton and he is likely to return to the first-team next campaign. According to Sky Sports, Torres said:

"If you perform and you score every weekend, then you are going to play. That's why (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi never rotate, because they score every game.

"I'm realistic, I know that I'm not scoring the goals I should and someone is taking my place, that's football."

The striker has had bad luck on some instances, but more often than not, he has suffered from poor confidence. Missing clear-cut chances like that against Sunderland, a few weeks ago, have raised questions about Torres' ability to carry the team to the title. He has scored just two in 12 league matches, which is unsurprisingly getting negative press in a division where the likes of Suarez have already scored 17.

Torres, though, is prepared to put his shift in and not sulk about the situation. He is aware that life has its ups and downs, while the only thing he can do right now is continue to work hard. The 29-year-old cannot be faulted for the workrate, which remains a major reason for Chelsea fans continuing to support him despite his struggles in front of goal. He continued:

"You have difficulties and problems and you have to be strong. My career is a bit like this, every player goes through the same.

"I try to do the same as always, and that is work, that is all I can do. When things are not going well, then all I can do is work harder."

Torres is expected to start against Arsenal on Monday night where a win could put Chelsea top of the table.